


won't you let me take you home

by exparrot



Category: The Wizard Of Oz (1939), The Wizard of Oz & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Drama, Friends to Lovers, Post-Canon, Set in Kansas, historical accuracy? i don't know her, re-start of an orphaned fic (but i promise it's still my own)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-14 05:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18046688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exparrot/pseuds/exparrot
Summary: As Dorothy returns to life in Kansas, she encounters an opportunity that will let her leave forever.(A re-continuation of my orphaned fichere)





	1. i've been running out on everyone

**Author's Note:**

> As I noted in the summary, I orphaned this originally because one of my friends told me this was weird and it oddly really hurt my feelings. But damn her, right? Who cares? I'm writing this anyway. 
> 
> I was so awed and inspired by your comments that I couldn't let this story go. I apologize for orphaning it in the first place, and promise to keep updating this. Don't be afraid to yell at me and get me to write, in fact I need it haha. Thanks for telling me to write this, folks. It was greatly appreciated and encouraging.

The night she woke up, Dorothy Gale couldn’t fall asleep. Her mind still raced from her “trip” to Oz, but she was almost afraid to fall asleep. She was scared of the fact if she dreamed, she would return, but it wouldn’t be the same. But she was more afraid that she’d never return at all.

Also, the town doctor stopped by and said she had to stay awake for the massive bump on her head.

“You should sleep, Hunk,” She said softly to the man keeping vigil at her bedside. She gently pushed the cold, damp washcloth off her eyes to get a better look at him. He sat propped up on one of their wooden chairs, his feet kicked up on the foot of her bed. He looked bone-tired.

Auntie Em and Uncle Henry had wanted to make sure she didn’t fall asleep, but the farmhands wouldn’t let them stay up all night due to their age. Hunk volunteered, leading to the two of them sharing the quarters temporarily.

The man with the dark blue eyes shook his head, fighting off a yawn. “No way, pal,” He told her. He then leaned over to pet Toto, who sat curled up at her feet. “Strict orders from Missus Em. Plus it’s better than fixin’ up the fence in the mornin’.” Toto leaned up into Hunk’s fingers, panting happily.

She smiled at them, “Afraid of hammerin’ your fingers off?”

Hunk playfully flexed his other fingers at her face, “Nah, these are nigh _indestructible_ by now.” But she could see little bruises and cuts on them from the farm work. He yawned again and distracted her, pulling both hands to rest at the back of his head. “So tell me ‘bout this dream of yours. Sounds like a wonder.”

For some reason, she blushed, “I told you already.”

“Just that we was all there,” Hunk said. “I love a good story. Plus, maybe it’ll calm me down.”

“From the twister?” She guessed, feeling droplets of water cascade down her neck. She wished she could change into her sleep clothes, but with Hunk there that was definitely not an option. At her feet, Toto yawned and stretched, as if he _had_ spent all day running around Oz.

“From the ten heart attacks you’ve given me this week,” He answered.

“Me!” She nearly exclaimed, sitting up more. But she remembered Em and Henry were asleep, with Zeke and Hickory spending the night downstairs as well. She had to be quiet. “Me?”

“Yes _you,_ ” He nudged her ankle with his foot. “You ran around like a chicken with its head cut off with all the Toto business- understandably- then you fell in the sty, _then_ you went missing, and we couldn’t find you after the Twister, _then_ when we did, you would not wake up for two days.” He stared up at her, eyes piercing in a new way, “It’s been a long week, Mizz Gale.”

She touched the rag sheepishly. It always irked her when he called her _Mizz Gale_. She’d been living with them since her parents died when she was 10. And she’d known him since she was 13 and he was 17 when he got hired. She was 16 now, a woman and a friend. She wasn’t even a lady of the house, that was her aunt’s job. Weren’t they friends? Why didn’t he see her as such?

“Didn’t mean to frighten you,” She offered, almost an apology.

He gave her a smile, “Just glad you’re all right. Now, where’d you go?”

“You can’t laugh at me,” She preemptively scolded him.

“Scout’s honor,” He held up four fingers. She giggled a little and reached over to tap one down. Once he held up three, she began.

Dorothy told him of crushing the bad witch of the east, and meeting Glinda. She told him about the munchkins, and the colors of the yellow brick road. She told him about the Scarecrow who wanted a brain, and the Tin Man who wanted a heart, and the Lion who wanted courage and how they reminded her of them. She told him about the Wicked Witch, and the Wizard of Oz, and the ruby slippers that wouldn’t leave her feet. She told him about killing the witch with water, and discovering the Wizard was a fraud. And she ends it with their gifts, and “it’s no place like home.” But she didn’t tell him about how familiar some of “characters” looked.

She already regretted her hurried admission when she woke up.  _And you were there and you were there._ God, she could be so silly sometimes.

If Hunk remembered, he thankfully didn't mention it.

“You got some brains there, Dorothy,” He said instead, miraculously still awake. In fact, he kept his eyes on her the entire time she spoke. “Makin’ and creatin’ dreams like that.”

She rubbed at the bump on her head, placing the now warm cloth there. “Not anymore.”

He scrunched his face at her, causing her to laugh. “So who was that Marvel guy? The one who came by the house.”

“Professor Marvel?” She clarified. He nodded. “He’s a fortune teller with the circus.”

“You got all the way to the circus?” Hunk nearly exclaimed. “Dorothy, that’s a long ways a way.”

She nodded, “I wanted to make sure Toto would be okay.” At the sound of his name, Toto crawled up to curl in the crook of her elbow. She pet behind his ears as she looked at Hunk. “I didn’t even realized how far I’d gone ‘til I left town limits.”

“We’ll protect Toto,” He vowed. “Don’t you worry about it. And don’t you leave again, you nearly made your aunt sick.”

Dorothy turned away from him, eyes instead locking on her fiddling fingers. “I know,” She said, thinking of what Professor Marvel had told her to bring her back to the farm. She thought of the magic ball in Oz, showing her Em, panicking and wondering where she was. A tear fell down her cheeks.

“Oh hey, none of that,” Hunk said, laughing awkwardly as he grabbed her a handkerchief. It was a bit dirty, but she found a clean patch and wiped her eyes. “You’re back safe. A-And your noggin’s gonna be as good as new. Don’t you worry.”

She nodded and willed herself not to cry. He was right, he usually was. She held onto that.

“I missed you all,” She sniffled. “When I left.” She wasn’t sure if she meant just running away or Oz too.

“We missed you too, kid,” He said. “How’s your head?”

The bump throbbed, but she played it off, wanting to help around the farm. “Right as rain,” She said. “I want to help with the farmwork.” She said, pushing to get out of bed.

“I’m sure your aunt and uncle want you restin’,” Hunk said, hands going to her shoulders to stop her. “We got it today.”

“The farm is practically destroyed!” She insisted, gesturing out to the debris she could see from her window. “I want to help. You know we need it. C’mon, Hunk, please.”

He made a face, “Alright, we’ll ask ‘em.” He got up and stretched, the hem of his shirt lifting up to reveal a smooth plane of stomach. “But if they want you back in bed, that’s where you go.”

She nodded and extended her elbow for him to take. Then she froze. That’s what Dorothy of Oz did, not her.

But without skipping a beat, Hunk looped his arm in hers and lead her downstairs, Toto following at their feet.


	2. i know my faithful mind is so blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk and Dorothy return to work at the farm.

_Dorothy was right_ , Henry “Hunk” Lucas thought as he sweat through his plaid workshirt, the farm was _destroyed._ The twister ravaged their land, wrecked their fence, and sent their animals flying. Not to mention what it did to poor Dorothy.

They would have gotten to it as soon as the winds died down, but they were all worried sick about the darling of the Gale Farm. The most they’d done was gather any of the remaining animals, but they didn’t like the idea of straying too far from the land in case Dorothy needed them.

And the Gales didn’t want to spend resources on the property in case they needed to take Dorothy into the city to see a doctor. They had one in town, but he’d been a war doctor back in the Great War, and mostly knew how to handle suturing up a gash, not a bump on the head.

Hunk worried about the Gales, and their farm. The Crash did good to no one, but especially farmers. Then the Dust Bowl, now this twister. He’d only been ten when all the bad luck started, now a man of twenty he was strong enough to help this family, who had given him steady, honest work for near five years, but also his own, who owned the local hardware store.

He wondered as he worked about them laying them off. He wouldn’t blame them, but he loved being on the Gale Farm. He’d miss working with Hickory and Zeke, even if they treated him like an annoying baby brother. The second eldest of seven back at the Lucas House, he wasn't used to it much, but found it oddly comforting.

Emily Gale treated him two ways, constantly flip-flopping. Either he was God’s Gift, helping all he could with their little farm, or he was a vagabond slacking off his chores. To be fair, he often deserved both treatments.

Henry Gale was one of the descendants of the founders of Smallton. He was something like royalty around these parts, but he acted as lackadaisical as anyone. But he still inspired awe in Hunk, more than just the respect one ought to give one’s elders.

Then there was Dorothy. His mind often thought of her. It was more than fair that week, considering everything.

She’d been a kid when she first came, but now she was growing up. They were the closest in age on the farm. Emily and Henry were nearly fifty, Zeke was in his thirties, and Hickory was late 20s. They were the only kids, and she treated him like an equal. When she started working the farm, the others made him take her under his wing, and she was a hard worker, and clever to talk to. Zeke was always making fun, and Hickory was always going on about his inventions.

He couldn’t place it, but something was off since she’d returned. He made a promise to himself, and mentally to his bosses, that he’d keep an eye on her. Dorothy knew how to listen. He had to be able to do the same to her.

As if knowing his train of thought, Zeke Leonards spoke up. “How was Dorothy last night?” He asked, sticking a post in the ground to work on the fence. 

“She was good, better than I thought,” He answered. “Got a bit dizzy, but otherwise good.”

“Dot’s a strong one,” Henry “Hickory” Silver said as he shaved the splinters off a post. “Shame though she got caught in a twister.”

Both Hunk and Zeke nodded. That had been a sentiment echoed repeatedly throughout the week.

“I can’t believe she’s out workin’,” Hunk added. “I’d rather she be restin’, but she insisted.” She did eat a hefty breakfast, and has been drinking lots of water, but Hunk still remembered how pale she looked in that bed.

Zeke laughed, “That’s our Dorothy.”

“Did she say more ‘bout that dream of hers?” Hickory asked as he paced his steps to set up the next post.

Hunk paused a moment, he wasn’t sure how much Dorothy wanted them to know. “Said she got sucked into a magical world,” He said as he hammered a post down. “That she wasn’t able to leave until she killed a witch.”

“Damn,” Zeke cursed lightly as Hickory shuddered. The inventor of the group had a deep fear of witches. He refused to explain why. “Poor thing.”

“Yeah she seemed shook by it,” Hunk looked over at her where she stood with her aunt and uncle counting the remaining chicks. Her hair wasn’t in her normal braids, just tied back with some string. The sun shone in it, making the red stand out against the auburn. She turned his way and waved.

Absently, he thrust the hammer down and got his thumb. He yelped and spun around to distract himself from the pain.

“Watch it, wise guy, this ain’t a ballet,” Zeke ragged on him good-naturedly.

Hunk ignored him as Hickory laughed and kept on the fence work.

As he worked, his gaze would flit Dorothy’s way. She worked with the chickens mostly, but after that work was done, she moved over to paint the new fence.

“I heard you had a mighty dream,” Zeke offered, after they’d spent most of the day listening to Dorothy hum.

The redhead looked up and leveled him with a glare. He immediately raised his hands in surrender. The intensity of her gaze nearly made his knees weak. One knew better than to mess with a Gale, and he’d stupidly gotten into trouble.

“That’s all I said, Dorothy, honest,” Hunk reassured.

“There’s _more_ ,” Hickory crowed, like he was a gossipy hen. “Aww, you gotta share now.”

“There’s nothing more,” Dorothy corrected. A thought passed through his mind, _why did she tell him and not the others?_ “Unless you’d like to hear more about the witch, Hickory. She was green, isn’t that fun? With a broom, and warts on her nose-”

Zeke and Hunk laughed as the smile fell from Hickory’s face. It got replaced instead with a playfully vengeful look. “I’ll get you for that!”

He took off in a sprint for her.

Dorothy yelped, grinning wide, and took off running just as fast.

“Fools,” Zeke, smirking, turned back to work, but Hunk rested against the new post and watched the two let off steam.

“Don’t make a mess!” Mrs. Gale berated from the porch steps, but Hickory and Dorothy ran by the chickens. Hunk laughed, watching as Dorothy practically danced around the inventor, darting out of his grip. Off nearby, Toto barked at the excitement.

Hickory managed to catch her, and Dorothy laughed a wild, gleeful laugh that had Hunk smiling too it was that infectious as Hickory locked his arms around her. Then she stumbled, losing her footing.

Luckily, Hickory was already there to catch her, but that didn’t stop Hunk, Emily and Zeke from running over to check on her.

“Dorothy!” Missus Gale said. “You _must_ be careful.”

“Just a bit dizzy, Aunt Em,” Dorothy said, cheeks flushed and voice soft.

“You are catching trouble all over the place,” Henry said, chewing on his pipe, but he looked concerned in his weathered face.

“You need some water,” Emily insisted as Hickory helped right Dorothy on her feet. “Hunk, will you go take her inside and get her some water? She’s done for today.”

“Auntie Em-!” She cried out indignantly.

“This was too much too fast,” The older woman continued. “Too soon for you to be out in the sun and working and chasing. You need to rest. Hunk, take her inside.” The last sentence was a clear order.

“Sorry, Dorothy,” Hunk offered her. Dorothy pouted, but let him guide her inside. Toto stayed by their feet.

Hunk helped her inside, then left her to get water. He came back and she took the water gratefully. After a chug, she set it down. He almost left, standing near her doorway, when he noticed she turned to stare outside the window mournfully. That reminded him, he and Hickory needed to fix that up.

She turned to look outside the window mournfully.

“You can finish painting the other half of the fence another time,” He offered.

“It’s not that,” She said, voice near a whisper. Slightly awkward, he stepped further into her room to hear her, and she didn’t kick him out. “I just keep thinking how, a week ago, I would have done anything to leave here.”

His chest clenched, “You almost did.”

She laughed a little, but there was no joy. “Almost,” She agreed. “Now, I can’t imagine leaving.” She looked at him, her dark brown eyes wide and near sorrowful. He’d never seen such a heavy gaze on her.

“You never have to leave, Dorothy,” He reassured her. “This is your home.”

She nodded. “I know that.”

“Good,” He said, then cleared his throat. Gosh, this was too heavy for him. “I know one should take pride in one’s home, but you can’t do that with a bumped head. Get some rest. When you feel better, I’m sure you’ll try again, but just wait so Missus Gale doesn’t bite _my_ head off.”

Dorothy offered a smile. “Deal.”

With that, he went back to work. After the new fence was mended, he considered painting it to spare Dorothy of the hard work, but he knew she’d find that downright mean. He closed up the paint and washed the brush, and left it for her tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you all will just have to roll with my headcanon that Hunk and Hickory's real names are both Henry, so to keep them all straight, they have nicknames. I was gonna say "I don't make the rules" but I do so here we are lol


	3. i met a girl who sang the blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothy embarks on a trek into town.

Dorothy Gale had been trying to put it out of her mind, but Almira Gulch held a piece of paper that said she had the right to put Toto down. And she might have a bump on her head as big as Kansas, but she was no dummy. She had an idea.

Three days after she woke up, she couldn’t risk waiting any longer. What if Miss Gulch came by that day? What if she felt no pity for her, even after her injury? She had to do something.

She did her morning chores then told her aunt and uncle she wanted to go into town.

“Aunt Em,” She rushed over to her guardian who was putting away the remaining dishes. “I promise I feel well, please let me run errands in town.”

“What’s gotten into you, child?” Emily Gale treated her offering to do extra chores as if it was a sin. It was sudden, but not sinful.

“I just want to help,” She said, not an _entire_ lie. “I’ve been in this house or the farm all week, I’m getting antsy. Just to the town’s edge. And I’ll be back by supper.”

Aunt Em studied her intently, using her sudsy fingers to pet at the back of her head. “I still don’t like the idea of you running about.”

“I haven’t felt dizzy at all today, honest,” She insisted. “If I do, I’ll make sure someone gives me a ride back. _Please,_ Aunt Em.”

Her aunt didn’t immediately agree.

A niggling feeling of guilt broke through, thinking of how Professor Marvel described Em when she ran away. But she tried to tamp it down, reminding herself she was asking permission for that very reason. Plus, there wasn’t going to be a twister today.

Hopefully.

Aunt Em pursed her lips in thought, and Dorothy did her best to look earnest and angelic. “Alright,” She acquiesced. Dorothy threw her arms around her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Her stoic aunt stammered in surprise, but she pulled away just as quickly.

“You give me a list, and I’ll get it done,” Dorothy said. “Oh, would you mind watching Toto?”

“You won’t take him with you?”

“He gets so underfoot,” Dorothy dismissed, thinking of the worst case scenario. She’d beg Miss Gulch for her life and then the woman would drag the dog away. Or worse, she’d kill him there herself. Her knees nearly buckled at the thought of it. “I’d hate for myself to get distracted.”

“I don’t have time to keep an eye on him,” Aunt Em sniffed. The young girl frowned, and immediately incurred pity. “Ask one of the farmhands. But if they say no, don’t pester ‘em.”

“I promise,” She swore and raced back to her room.

After fixing up her hair, she carried Toto out to the farm hands.

Zeke tolerated Toto, but he was more of a cat person. Hickory liked Toto well enough, but she saw Hunk first.

“Hi there, Hunk,” Dorothy greeted, skipping over to him.

Hunk looked up from his work with the new fence for the pigs. “Hey there, Dorothy. You’re lookin’ mighty spry this mornin’.”

“Can I ask a favor of you?”

“You can _ask_ ,” He smirked at her, wiping his brow with his handkerchief.

“Do you mind keeping an eye on Toto for me today? I’m running into town, and think I best oughta leave him behind.”

“I thought you and Toto were attached at the hip,” He said, reaching over to pet the scruffy little dog.

“Sadly not today,” Dorothy said, trying to be as vague as possible. “Would you mind?”

“Not at all,” Hunk grabbed the dog from her hands and held him up gently. “He can help me with this here fence.” He placed Toto by the toolbox. The dog promptly sniffed it, then curled up for a nap.

“Careful, Hunk!” Hickory called over from his spot at the wagon with Zeke. “He might get your job!”

Hunk gave him a Bronx Cheer, causing Dorothy to stumble backwards a bit in surprise. The movement was very and suddenly _Scarecrow_ , but she had to remind herself that while they were obviously very different creatures, her addled mind just used the mannerisms of Hunk to inspire her.

It was just a dream.  

“You alright, Dorothy?” Hunk asked, catching her elbow.

She blinked and forced herself back to Kansas. “I’m perfectly fine!” She said. “Not dizzy at all, just daydreaming.”

Hunk studied her, and her cheeks almost flushed under the steady gaze of his dark blue eyes. “Fair enough,” He shrugged, a full-bodied, languid movement. “And don’t fret none, I’ll keep an eye on Toto here.”

“Thanks,” She smiled up at him. “I’ll be back before dinner.”

He nodded and went back to work. She took off.

Later, the sight of the Gulch House instilled such fear in her that her feet refused to move a single step.

“C’mon,” She muttered at herself, and imagined the ruby red slippers on her feet. That inspired her to walk forward and knock on the door.

Miss Almira Gulch answered the door, her arm in a sling and her lips in a sneer. “Oh, little Miss Dorothy Gale. Where’s that wretched dog of yours?”

She demurred an answer, out of interest in her dog’s protection, and said, “Gosh! What happened to your arm?”

The older woman narrowed her eyes. “I got caught in the tornado, if you _must_ know,” She straightened her shoulders. “Unfortunately fell off my bicycle, scraped up my arm.”

“That’s awful, I’m sorry to hear that.”

The woman continued to study her. Dorothy bit back an urge to think of Oz, and how much this woman looked like the wicked witch from her dream.

“I heard we had that in common, but you look fine,” Miss Gulch sniffed.

Dorothy smiled sheepishly. “Well, I look fine _now,_ ” She corrected gently. “But I- I got lost, then I hit my head real bad during the twister, and I spent three days asleep.”

“I had wondered where your mangy mutt had escaped to.”

“I wanted to talk to you about that,” She began hesitantly. “May I come in?”

“You may,” Miss Gulch barely hesitated then stepped in.

They moved to Miss Gulch’s parlor. Dorothy stood still a moment, struck by all the opulence. She saw an old, faded photograph of a beautiful young woman. Even though it was for a picture, she still managed a smirk.

“Who is this?” She hesitated to pick up the picture, afraid of dropping it and shattering the frame.

“My sister, Jessamine,” Miss Gulch said. “She died of the influenza back in aught-six.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dorothy offered. Though, from her memories of her parents’ funerals, she knew how empty that felt to hear. “She looked lovely.”

Miss Gulch snorted, the noise nearly shocking Dorothy. “That’s novel,” She explained. “Jessa was quite a spitfire. She was only about thirteen, so she never had the chance to settle down.”

“That’s dreadful,” Dorothy said. “I’ve never had a sister, but I bet you two were close.”

“We were. She was younger,” Miss Gulch sighed. “The baby of the family, with my brother the eldest of us. I was stuck right in the middle. Don’t envy it much...” She trailed off, looking at the photo. Then her eyes turned back to Dorothy, sharp. “I’m sure you didn’t drag yourself all the way over here to look at my family tree. Speak up about what you want, don’t waste my time,” She ordered and sat down.

The younger girl sat down as well. “I wanted to talk to you about Toto. I apologize for the fact he bit you.”

“That’s a different tune than last week,” Miss Gulch said, nose almost curled in a sneer.

Dorothy, channeling her bravery, pushed through her fear. “I know, and I also apologize for my reaction. Toto’s been with me since before my mother died, and I truly don’t know what would happen if I didn’t have him in my life anymore.”

“He’s a pet, girl,” The old woman interrupted.

“But he’s _my_ pet,” Dorothy insisted. Miss Gulch raised an eyebrow at the interruption, so she forced herself to calm down. “Even so, I need to take better care of him and keep him at heel. Besides a promise to keep him away from you, your property and your garden, is there any way I can convince you to not have Toto killed? Please, I’m willing to do anything.”

Miss Gulch sat in a rocking chair, and she slowly moved back and forth in thought.

“Regardless of town opinion...” She began. “I’m not heartless. Your wretched dog did destroy my garden, and bite my ankle. But I do appreciate you coming by to apologize and offer assistance, especially when you didn’t realize I was injured.”

Dorothy, still brave, was too afraid to speak.

“Perhaps I was a bit rash in my decision to put your dog down,” Miss Gulch said. “I’d be willing to negotiate a deal with you. Three times a week, you stop by in the afternoon and work to fix my garden. You do _not_ bring your dog, or let him near me. Once that’s done, you help me around the house as well, especially until my arm is back in function. We will start with this agreement for three months, but we’ll keep it probationary. If you agree to that right now, I will rip up this letter from the sheriff.”

With her good arm, she reached over and pulled out the paper. Dorothy’s heart clenched, even as she burst with hope.

“But understand, child, I can get another one just as easily. If you hold up your end for three months, or however long, and keep your dog away from me, I will promise to leave you and your dog be.”

Dorothy grinned, “Aww, really-”

“You better hold up your end of the deal,” Miss Gulch pointed a bony finger at her.

She nodded vehemently. “I swear, Miss Gulch. When do you want me?”

“Come tomorrow at noon,” She answered. She held the paper and ripped it right in half. Dorothy nearly burst into tears, she was so relieved. “Be prepared to fix up my garden.”

“I will, thank you so much,” Dorothy replied. “I-” She tried to calm down, knowing the woman didn’t respond well to eagerness. “I really appreciate the second chance here.”

“Twisters can put things in perspective, Dorothy,” Miss Gulch said regally. “Don’t take advantage of my generosity though.”

“I promise,” She said. “Thank you.”

“Now get out of here, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Miss Gulch said. Dorothy stood and left the house, nearly skipping into town.

Toto was going to be alright. She grinned up at the sky, and gave herself a moment to jump around happily. But only a moment, for she still had work to do.


	4. the skies above are clear again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk reflects on finding Dorothy after the Twister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a flashback, but I wanted to explore this moment.

As he worked to replace Dorothy’s window, Hunk Lucas contemplated the past week. A lot had happened, much more than the normal sleepy Kansas he was used to.

_“It’s a twister!” He and Zeke called out, chasing after Hickory. They freed the animals and got the Gales to the cellar. Hunk resisted the urge to run for his family. He knew Hickory and Zeke felt the same way, but the best thing to do was hunker down, they all knew that._

_“What about Dorothy?” Emily cried, looking around as frantic as the weather. “Dorothy!”_

_“She would’ve found shelter,” Henry tried to reassure her, but she refused to leave the ground, even with the wind whipping around them. It took two of them, but they got her into the cellar. She fell to her knees once inside._

_“C’mon, Missus Gale,” Zeke helped her up and onto a spare chair as the storm ravaged the ground above them._

_“Take deep breaths now,” Henry tried to tell her, rubbing her shoulder._

_“We should’ve done something about that Miss Gulch,” Emily said the name like a curse, even through her worried tears. “Dorothy’s so young and small, that tornado could carry her off-”_

_Hickory, tears in his own eyes since he was so dang sympathetic, knelt beside her. “Dorothy will be alright, she’s a strong girl.”_

_“Remember when she helped us birth that pig,” Hunk tried to distract her a bit. “She was just fourteen, but she didn’t shy away at all.”_

_“She’s the bravest kid I know,” Zeke added._

_“So smart,” He added, sinking down to the dirt. The stress was causing his knees to go all weak._

_“So kind,” Hickory wiped his eyes. Emily did the same. Zeke handed her a handkerchief. “She’ll be just fine.”_

_“I just wish I knew where she was,” She sniffed and reached her hand over to her husband’s. “She was so mad at us, Henry... Even if she didn’t get caught in the storm, what if she didn’t come back? What if she never comes back?”_

_“When the storm calms down, we’ll all go searchin’ for her,” Henry offered. “But we can’t fret about it none from in here, it’s a waste of our energies.”_

_They all nodded, even though their minds thought of it all the same._

_Zeke tried to distract them even further, talking about his son’s first steps the other week. They’d heard it all before, but the story was light in the wake of all the disaster._

_Above them, they could hear violent sounds, each one garnering a wince or a cry of surprise from the lone woman in the cellar._

_Then it went quiet._

_Immediately, Emily went for the door, but Henry held her back. “It might be the eye of it,” He reminded her._

_More tears fell down Emily’s face, but she nodded._

_Hickory kept track of the storm’s potential eye on his red pocket watch. When it was silent for five minutes straight, they felt brave enough to push out of the cellar._

_“Jesus H. Christ,” Henry Gale swore, surveying the damage._

_“We gotta find Dorothy,” Missus Em said. “Dorothy! Where are you?”_

_“We should split up,” Hunk said, tripping over their felled weather vane. “Zeke, check the animals and look around the fields. Hickory, you and me will head off into town, see if anyone’s seen her. Mister and Missus Gale, you sit tight.”_

_Emily Gale sat on the edge of their porch, and Henry went to the door. Hunk and Hickory took off into town._

_Hours after the twister ended, Hunk and Hickory made their way back to the Gale farm. They had just hit the outskirts of their property, when Hickory spoke up. Mostly, they’d been too distraught to speak._

_“I hope they had better luck than we did,” Hickory said, wiping tears from his eyes._

_Hunk nodded, trying to ignore the feeling of fear licking at his insides. He wasn’t a cryer like Hickory, but he was gonna be darn near close with how this day was turning out._

_“I can’t believe no one had seen her.”_

_“I know, she hard to miss,” Hunk said. “If she ran away, I wonder how far she could have gone. Maybe she missed the storm entirely.”_

_“I sure hope so,” Hickory said. He was about to speak once more, but then a sharp yapping distracted them._

_They both turned to find the source, seeing Toto running up to them._

_“Toto!” They called out. The dog ran right up to Hunk, so the youngest farmhand squated down to check on him._

_“He ain’t bleeding... Toto, where’s Dorothy?”_

_“Oh, like he’s supposed to know-” Hickory started to dismiss but then Toto took off. Wordlessly, Hunk followed with Hickory close behind._

_They made it to the Gale house, still torn about. “Dorothy?” They called, skidding to a stop, looking around._

_“She’s in here! We found her in the house,” Zeke shouted back, standing on the wreck of the porch. They jumped over debris and made it inside._

_They stood outside Dorothy’s room, finding Missus Gale knelt in prayer at her bedside. Dorothy was sprawled across it, feet practically on the floor. For a painful moment, Hunk wondered if she was dead. But she was still breathing._

_“Missus Gale,” Hunk cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but do I have your permission to move Dorothy? That looks mighty uncomfortable for here there.”_

_“...but deliver us from evil. Amen,” Emily finished the prayer, then seemed to notice him and what he’d said. “Oh- Gosh,_ should _we move her? I- She looks so frail, she won’t wake up, I just-”_

_“I’ll fetch the doctor, mind if I take one of the horses?” Zeke asked, already half out the door._

_“Go,” Henry said, lighting up a pipe. Zeke took off. Hunk was glad he volunteered, there was no way in Hell was he leaving the young girl alone yet._

_Hunk touched the back of Dorothy’s head, and pulled his fingers away. “She ain’t bleeding,” He said, to his immense relief._

_Hickory sobbed._

_“I said she ain’t,” He repeated._

_“I know, it’s just so sad,” He sniffled._

_“I did feel a knot there,” Hunk said. “Missus Em, you know I’m no expert, but I think we should get her to a better position on the bed. Then she can at least be comfortable.”_

_“That seems fair, Hunk,” Emily said. Hickory and Hunk hefted Dorothy into the bed. Toto yapped around them, but Dorothy didn’t even blink. Other than her breathing, Hunk couldn’t tell she was alive._

_“How do we wake her up?” He asked, fingers almost brushing her cheek, but he pulled them back in time before he got too close. He almost couldn’t help it. Usually her cheeks were rosy and flushed, now they were pale._

_“I don’t know,” Missus Gale wiped the tears away. “Gosh, I’m so relieved she’s here, but I wish she’d just wake up.”_

_Almost anxiously, she adjusted Dorothy’s blankets around her. Toto leapt up and curled on her stomach. His mother’s phrase “idle hands” remained in his mind, and he cleared his throat._

_“‘Least until the doctor gets here, we oughta get started on farm repairs,” Hunk said. “Hickory, that work with you?’_

_Hickory wiped his eyes and nodded, “If that’s alright with you, Missus Em.”_

_“Thanks for being here, boys,” She said. Then she blinked. “No, go to your families. I don’t think I saw the twister head towards your farms, but still.”_

_Hunk swallowed tightly. He really ought to make make sure his family was alright, but he couldn’t leave Dorothy yet._

_“We’ll stay at least until Zeke gets back with the doctor,” Hickory offered._

_“Thank you,” She said softly._

_Emily and Henry Gale sat in Dorothy’s room. Hunk and Hickory aimlessly playing cards until Zeke burst in with Doctor Spades. He immediately went to the room, and shut the door._

_To busy themselves, the three farmhands started working on clearing out debris. Normally, they chatted or whistled. That day they were silent._

_Henry came out at some point, sneakily wiping tears from his eyes. He explained that Dorothy had not yet woken up, but that the doctor held out hope._

_The three of them stayed until nightfall, then walked to their respective houses to be with their families. When dawn broke, they all went back to the Gale house. Dorothy still had not woken._

_It had seemed that neither of their employers had slept all night in Dorothy’s stead._

_After discussing it with the farmhands and discovering none of their properties or family members had suffered any damages, miraculously, they agreed to stick to the property as much as possible until Dorothy woke up._

_Hunk and Zeke fixed up the doors, and Hickory and Henry got some animals back into one of the remaining pens, but a lot of the fence work was gonna take longer than they expected._

_Hickory managed to convince Em to get some rest, but she wouldn’t do it without someone looking after Dorothy. Even though he was exhausted to his very bones, Hunk offered to watch out for her in the afternoon._

_Henry and Em went off to bed, and Hickory and Zeke went back to work, and Hunk went into Dorothy’s room._

_He tried to make himself comfortable, but he had only been in her room once before to fix a wobbly bed frame. And even then, Henry was there with ‘em. He wasn’t alone._

_He stared at her. She was still asleep. Every once in a while she’d moan or jolt, but she wouldn’t wake up. He only left her for a moment to apply a fresh towel to her forehead._

_“I hope you wake up soon, Dorothy,” He said with a yawn._

_An hour or so later, Emily and Henry came back in, thanking him for keeping vigil with a new. He, Hickory and Zeke were about to leave, but then Dorothy started murmuring._

_“There’s no place like home...” He thought he heard her say, but mostly he heard Missus Em urging her to wake up._

_“Oh, Auntie Em! It’s you,” Dorothy said, and he had never been so amazed to hear her voice. Hickory grabbed his arm, and he turned slightly to see tears in the other man’s eyes._

_He watched with bated breath as Dorothy woke up, but then was shocked to see an older man appear._

_“Hello there, anybody home? I just dropped by because I heard the little girl got caught in the big-”_

_Hunk wondered how the townsfolk had heard of it, since the Gales hadn’t left their house. Then he figured one of his sisters must’ve said something. Hope and Hester were gossipy hens._

_“Well! She seems alright now.”_

_“Yeah, she got quite a bump on the head, we kind of thought there for a minute she was gonna leave us,” Henry said. Hunk swallowed tightly, he didn’t let himself think it was that bad._

_“But I did leave you, Uncle Henry!” Dorothy lunged forward. “That’s just the trouble, and I tried to get back for days and days.”_

_Missus Em tried to calm her down, and Henry gathered them over. Hunk was glad, because he’d hate to feel like he was intruding._

_He put a smile on his face, focusing on his pure joy that she was finally awake. “Remember me?” He asked her as he leaned down beside her. “Your old pal Hunk?”_

_She smiled at him and cupped his cheek. Her hand was ice cold, but he pet it all the same as Hickory and Zeke said hello._

_“But it wasn’t a dream,” She insisted. “It was a place! And you, and you and you... and you were there!” She pointed around the room._

_Hunk couldn’t help the smile on his face. This wasn’t the first time Dorothy’s imagination had run from her._

_“But it couldn’t have been...”_

_“We dream lots of silly things-” Emily tried to reassure her. Hunk stepped back with the others, letting the family stick together._

_He watched as she adjusted to being awake, and he couldn’t help the succor he felt as she said, “And I’m not going to leave here ever, ever again because I love you all!”_

“Ay, are you done daydreamin’ or what?” Zeke cuffed the back of Hunk’s head, forcing him back to the present. “We still got hay to rebundle.”

“Quit your bellyachin’,” Hunk snapped, but there was no real heat. “I’m comin’.” With Toto at his feet, he followed Zeke and Hickory out to the fields. But his mind couldn't quite forget the fear of knowing Dorothy was lost or sick.


	5. but I'm beginning to wonder why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothy heads into town

Dorothy Gale stepped out of the marketplace, checking her basket and her list. She had everything her aunt had told her to get.

She was about to head back home, but saw the clocktower. She still had plenty of time, since she had budgeted much more than she ended up needing at Miss Gulch’s. Just about an hour before she needed to be back. She looked around the square to see the Lucas Family Hardware Store.

Even though she knew Hunk was working the Gale Farm, she decided to see if any Lucases were around. She had an affinity for Hunk’s sister Hope, who was only a year younger than him, but his other siblings were just as charming and silly.

She stepped in and saw Harvey and Hester, both about thirteen or so, working the sales desk. They both looked like Hunk. They had dark, wavy hair and bigger noses, but Harvey’s eyes were brown like their mother’s, and Hester’s eyes were dark blue like Hunk’s and their father’s.  

With school out for the summer work, she had a feeling she was going to be seeing them around much more outside the school house. 

“Hi Dorothy!” They greeted.

“Hi Harvey, Hester,” She said back, smiling at them.

“I heard you got caught in the twister,” Hester said. “Hank was mighty worried ‘bout you.” They called Hunk “Hank” since he was the only Henry on their property, but he was one of three at the Gale Farm. Even though he was probably Hank long before he was Hunk, she couldn’t picture calling him anything else.

She hoped her cheeks didn’t flush at the mention of him. “He’s sweet like that,” She dismissed, not wanting to linger on it. “But yes, I was.”

“What was it like?”

“I don’t remember most of it,” She said honestly, causing Harvey to pout. So she decided to divulge more information. She leaned in close. “But I thought I saw Miss Gulch riding her bike up there. And even a cow flying!”

The two kids gasped in glee.

“That must have been so much fun!” Harvey exclaimed, then Hester elbowed him harshly. “Until you hit your head, ‘course.”

“It was nice to sleep for two days,” She admitted, not wanting to scare the two. “Rest is always good. But I did _not_ like worryin’ everyone.”

“Lots of people in town talked about it,” Hester said. “Zeke practically ran into town like a chicken with its head cut off when he was lookin’ for the doctor, he was so scared.”

Dorothy winced slightly. She hated the thought of them worrying about her so. She ought to cut this visit short. “I have more errands, so I must run,” She told a small lie. “I have to keep runnin’ around town. I’ll tell your brother ‘hi’ for you, when I get back.”

“Thanks, Dorothy!” They called and she left almost as quickly as she went in.

Dorothy stepped out into the square. It was still a bit haggard, but the town proper wasn’t destroyed much in the twister. The only places that suffered damaged were the places on the outskirts, like the dance hall park and the farms.

But it was hot like the dickens. May weather was usually soft and sweet, but that day was proving to be a scorcher.

Wiping her brow with back of her hand, she wished she had one of the farmhand’s omnipresent handkerchieves. She looked over her list of things for Aunt Em once more, just to be safe before she head back to the Gale Farm.

As she did, she heard a vaguely familiar voice calling from nearby.

“The best Carnival this side of the Mississippi is reunited once more! Just in the fields of this amazing town!” The voice of Professor Marvel crowed. “Please, take yourselves and your loved ones to see mystical sights!” He wore a soft, brown suit, and his hair was a bit unruly, but he looked vibrant and

“Professor Marvel!” She greeted, practically skipping over to him. He held up a hand, and she stopped.

“You look well,” He said, hushed. “Mind helping me with some sales?”

“I- yes, of course,” She said, thinking of the way he nicely checked in on her when she wouldn’t wake. She could definitely help him out. “What can I do?”

“Just stand right there a moment,” He whispered then cleared his throat. “Ma’am,” He spoke once more, at a much larger volume. “Would you like your fortune told?”

“I- Yes, I would, Professor Marvel,” She said. Peering around, the other townsfolk milling about started to take notice. She saw the Taylors, the Greens, and the Rothsbergs, and more she didn’t immediately recognize.

“You work a farm, is that correct?”

She tried not to frown. Was he pretending he didn’t know her? They weren’t thick as thieves, but he knew she worked a farm. He even guessed it when they first met!

“I- Yes it is,” Dorothy stuttered over her words, reminding herself internally that she agreed to help, and that meant ignoring her own feelings of perplexity. “I work a farm.”

“I bet the farm got destroyed during the Twister, is that true?” He asked.

She frowned, “Yes-”

“I see a repaired farm...” He closed his eyes. Dorothy’s were open, and she saw as people started to gather around them. Why, there were dozens! When did all these people grow around them?

“I see your farmhands, I see your family. You will get back on your feet!” He clapped his hand on her shoulder. “I see happiness for you, with your family’s farm.”

People started clapping, and it was almost like thunder. She turned around in surprise, not realizing how many were watching.

“What’s going to happen to our farm?” Mrs. Taylor asked loudly.

“Will my family have happiness?” Someone else cried on the other side of her. She turned to the new sound even though it didn’t fully register, her jaw dropping as her confusion swirled in her mind. Professor Marvel had already seen her farm, he knew this. Why was he acting like he didn’t know her?

Oh god.

_Acting._

He was guessing. He was pretending the whole conversation. Did that mean he was pretending when he saw Aunt Em get sick when she ran away?

Vile started pushing at her throat, and her knees nearly buckled, but Professor Marvel grabbed her arm.

“Are you alright?”

Others started asking her the same, but Dorothy forced herself to look Professor Marvel in the eyes as her own burned with furious tears. She couldn’t bring herself to speak, mostly out of fear the only thing that would escape her lips would be vomit.

“What’s wrong with Dorothy now, Professor Marvel?” Others started to call.

“Well, um,” Professor Marvel stammered. “This requires a personal consult, let me talk with her over here, let’s give the poor girl some room.”

He lead her over to the back of the Lucas Family Hardware. There was shade, and that helped immensely.

“Are you alright?” He asked, with what _appeared_ to be genuine concern, but she now knew what a liar and a cad he was.

“You lied to me,” She told him, swallowing tightly. But she couldn’t bring herself to look at him, keeping her hands on her knees as she tried to force air into her lungs. “I came to you and you _lied_ to me. You’re lying to all those people right now. You’re nothin’ but a fabulist! Are you even a professor? Or is that just more lies?”

“To some, I ‘spose it could be seen as lying,” He said. “But I don’t see it that way.”

“How convenient.”

Her sharp words made him laugh, which surprised her. “That’s more than fair, Miss Gale. If I can just explain, I can tell you that I saw you struggling when you came to my campsite, and I felt it through empathy. I wanted to help you, and I knew you oughta head home. Now, if I had told you to go home, would you have?”

Dorothy finally looked up at him, and said honestly, “No.”

“I didn’t mean you any ill will, child,” He reassured. “I just wanted to make sure you’d get home safe. Going out on the road is no place for a young girl. But I understand it’s hurtful, so allow me to make it up to you.”

“How?”

Professor Marvel, if that was even his real name, pulled out two small tickets from his back pocket. “We officially open up our show and exhibits on Friday night,” He said. “I would be thrilled to see you there.”

“Really?” She asked, gently taking the tickets. They were dark green, with black lettering that read _Marvelous Carnival Admission/35¢/ADMIT ONE._ “Thank you very much.”

“No trouble at all, I certainly owe you,” He said. “Especially if you were to keep my secret.”

Dorothy hesitated, but then she nodded. “As long as you promise to do good with it.”

“I promise,” He crossed his heart. “But I will let you in on a secret." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I _used_ to be a professor. Professor of Business at the University of Kansas, until the crash. Then I decided to explore the open road.”

“Really?”

Professor Marvel. “Former Professor Frank Bauer at your service.”

She smiled, “Nice to meet you. But I have to say, I think I prefer Professor Marvel.”

“Me too, Miss Gale,” He said. “Mind helping me finish up the last of this pull?”

“Sure,” She said, and they stepped back out to the town square.

To her complete and utter surprise, the dozens of people they’d left behind were still there, waiting in rapture.

Professor Marvel looked just as surprised as she did, and he didn’t speak for a moment.

“He cured me of my ill!” She cried out to the townsfolk, causing them all to react with uproarious applause. He grabbed her hand and swung it up in victory, and she couldn’t help the smile on her face. It was fun to be the center of attention.

She watched as he gave more fortunes, and sold more tickets to the Marvelous Carnival. The townsfolk looked overjoyed with a distraction, and she would never want to take that away from them.

Then the bell of the clocktower pealed, revealing the time to be near six and she gasped.

“I must go, but thank you, Professor! Goodbye everyone!” She said, then grabbed her things and took off home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a beta, but I managed to catch myself saying "Captain Marvel" instead of Professor Marvel, and that still makes me laugh.


	6. look her over once or twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner time at the Gale Farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for checking out this little fic!

Hunk Lucas was surprised to find that Toto Gale was good company. It made sense, since Dorothy loved him just as much as she loved her family. That had to count for something.

Contrary to Hickory’s silly jokes, Toto did not come _close_ to taking Hunk’s job. In fact, he often ran around, dragging the hammer or nails away just as he was about to use them.

Zeke thought this was hilarious. “You gonna let the mutt make a coward outta ya?” He crowed as Hunk chased the dog. 

Hunk finally caught Toto in his arms. The dog dropped the nails to the dirt. “Dorothy’ll kill me if you get lockjaw,” He rebuked the pup.

Toto licked his chin repeatedly in response, and Hunk found it hard to be mad after that.

“How could Miss Gulch hate such a thing?” He asked the other farm hands, carrying him over to the pair.

Hickory reached over to pet Toto, “Beats me.”

“I’m sure that woman could find a way to hate a nun,” Zeke said.

“Stealing her fashion sense,” Hickory said, causing the other two to snicker.

“Do you think she’ll have Toto destroyed?” Hunk said. He would be sad for the loss of the dog, but more sad thinking of how Dorothy would react. She’d be heartbroken, and he'd hate to see that.

“I’d hate to think so,” Zeke responded, petting the dog, who relished the attention. “But that woman’s done some awful, hateful things.”

Miss Gulch was one of the richest people in their county. The farms were the only safe place to say a negative word about her and not face repercussions. She was connected like a spider's web.

“Hopefully Dorothy won’t run away again if she did,” Hunk added.

“I still Dorothy oughta sock her, teach her somethin’.”

“You can’t just _sock_ everyone you got a problem with,” Hickory corrected Zeke. “They got feelings, just as many as you.”

“Do you men want to be out of a job?” Missus Gale called over from the chicken coop, immediately separating them and returning their focus to work.

It wasn’t until hours later that Hunk finally sat down at the dinner table, fresh baked chicken with rolls and potatoes placed around the chairs. Just as he was about to dig into the bread, he noticed it was just Zeke, Hickory, Emily and Henry. Dorothy was nowhere to be found.

He looked over at Em and Henry, and debated internally if he should ask where Dorothy ran off to. They had no need to think his feelings were anything more than curiosity at least and protection at best. But his curiosity was tickling at him.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to say a word.

“Where’s Dorothy?” Hickory asked, reaching for a roll. “Toto’s been here all day.”

At his feet, Toto panted up at him, muzzle almost smiling. Even though his hands were just freshly washed, Hunk couldn’t resist the urge to pet him and gave the black dog a scratch.

Emily’s hands twisted together nervously as she set beans on the table. “She went into town, all by her lonesome.”

“Already?” Hickory asked. “She just woke up the other day.”

“I’m well aware, Hickory. She was supposed to be back before supper-“

“I’m late, awful sorry!” They all turned to the sound of Dorothy and her slamming the front door. She entered the kitchen in a whirlwind of color, bright copper hair and sapphire-checkered blue dress. Hunk watched with a smile as Toto barked happily and danced around her feet.

“Sorry Aunt Em,” She said. “So sorry, I was with Miss Gulch and then-”

A frightened and incredulous “What?” sprang from every mouth at that table.

“Jeez, that’s like walkin’ in a lion’s den,” Zeke murmured. Hunk bit back a snicker, too shocked to fully laugh.

“What did Almira do?” Emily demanded, gripping her apron.

Dorothy shook her head, “Oh, she was fine!” She fell to her knees and let Toto leap into her arms. Those two could barely spend a day apart. As she stood, Hunk distracted himself by buttering a roll. He needed to eat, a long day of fixing back up the farm. He knew better than to eat without prayers being said in the Gale house, but he could at least busy his hands.

“It’s settled,” She said, still beaming. “She ripped up the letter and everythin’!”

Zeke whooped, and Hickory cheered. Hunk sent her a bright smile, and she grinned right back.

“Settled!” Em parroted back. “How so?”

“I just apologized,” Dorothy said. “I agreed to go the long way home from now on and do some chores for her,” She turned to smile at Hunk again. He smiled back once more, pleased she remembered his advice. “But that’s not why I’m so excited.”

“Why are you?” Henry asked, chewing his food secretly. He was smart, taking advantage of Emily’s distraction and worry to sneak a bite.

Hunk pinched his roll, perfect and fluffy as always, wishing he could taste it. Missus Em knew her way around the kitchen. But he had the bad luck of getting caught breaking the rules, so he held off.

Dorothy sat down, Toto in her lap, as Emily grabbed her a plate of food.

“I ran into Professor Marvel today,” She told them all. “I helped him with a demonstration, and he gave me two free tickets to the circus on Friday night!” She held out two green tickets.

“Very nice, Dorothy,” Hickory said, but there wasn’t a smile. In fact, he looked downright sad. “No one gives me free anything.”

“Here’s some free advice, stop wastin’ your time with machines,” Zeke said. Hickory threw a sneer at him.

“Boys,” Emily said, causing Hunk to snicker because at least he wasn’t included in the admonishment for once. “It’s dinner time, not nonsense time.”

“I can go, Aunt Em, Henry, can’t I?” Dorothy asked.

The two owners of the farm shared a look, then Emily reached over to touch Dorothy’s head. Hunk frowned when Dorothy winced. “You still got a mighty knot there.”

“I’m okay, honest,” She persisted.

“I’d still rather you stayed home,” Emily said. “It’s a carnival, Dorothy. You going there all alone at night, it’d be so darn hectic! What if you got sick? I’m sorry, child, but you can’t.”

Hunk watched as Dorothy’s face fell. Before he even knew what he was doing, he said, “I can go with. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Dorothy beamed, just like she had when she ran in. “Oh really? Hunk, you’re the best!”

A weird warmth in his chest bloomed, but then Zeke said, “Best at hammerin’ his own fingers!”

“I’d throw a roll at you,” Hunk pointed the bread at his fellow farmer. “But I don’t wanna waste this delicious food.”

“Good thing we have napkins,” Hickory said, and they both threw their napkins at Zeke, causing Dorothy to giggle.

“Stop playing around, we must say our graces,” Em ordered.

“Wait to play with your food until after,” Henry said, causing a chorus of giggles to ring around the table.

After an amazing meal, Dorothy walked Hunk to newly remade fence. Zeke and Hickory were staying in the guest house that evening, but he had to get back home to his family. He’d been gone much more than usual this week.

“So Friday, you said?” He clarified.

“You don’t have to take me, Hunk,” She offered him an out, causing his eyebrows to raise. “I know spending a Friday night with a kid ain’t all that fun.”

“Aw, Dorothy, it’ll be a great time,” He said sincerely. “‘Haven’t been to a circus in ages, it should be darb. Besides, I made a promise to your Aunt and Uncle.”

She smiled at him, a soft one that just barely graced her features, “Get home safe.”

“You too,” He said with a wink. She laughed.

“Knowing my history-” She began then cut off. Hunk’s smile fell off his face. He definitely couldn’t joke about that yet. “I ran into Harvey and Hester while in town, they said ‘hi.’”

“I’ll tell ‘em ‘hi’ back when I get home,” He said. “See you tomorrow, Dorothy.”

She smiled and turned back to the house. Out of fear from her earlier comment, he watched until she completely went back inside.

Only then did he turn and walk down the dusty road to the Lucas House.

He thought about what she said. “ _Spending a Friday with a kid ain’t all that fun._ ” To his dismay, he wasn’t thinking of her like a _kid_ when he agreed to the evening. Just a friend.

Plus, it’d been a while since he’d gone out with a girl in general. The farm work was picking up for the Autumn harvest, even though it was May. It’d be nice to take a break and have fun. But only with a friend.

Maybe it’d be smarter to think of her like his bosses’ ward.

But he wasn’t that smart anyways.


	7. how to make my own life here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothy weeds Miss Gulch's garden, and gets ready for the carnival. She also learns some family history.

Dorothy Gale walked the dusty, familiar road to the Gulch house on Friday afternoon. She looked to her feet and sighed at the lack of Toto by her toes. While she understood it was necessary, she missed being able to go everywhere with her dog.

She was very grateful to Hunk for agreeing to look after him while she did the chores for Miss Gulch. She had to find a way to thank him, maybe she’d treat him to dinner at the carnival.

She couldn’t have been more excited to experience the carnival. She’d heard from her friends in town that a whole influx of carnies had practically taken over the outskirts, and it wasn’t just Professor Marvel. 

But she had a long ways to go for that, she had to weed Miss Gulch’s garden.

“About time you showed up,” The older woman sniffed from her porch as Dorothy approached. “Did you manage to get lost?”

“No, just enjoying the spring breeze,” She said, only partially lying. She really must stop her imagination from running away from her, it slows her steps. Just as she was about to kneel down into the dirt, Miss Gulch spoke again. “Come up here, use an old pair of my husband’s gloves, so you don’t slice up your fingers.”

“Thank you,” Dorothy said, and took the gloves. They were dark brown with some of the stitching worn, but they were soft when she slipped them on. It made her feel like working the Gale Farm with Hunk and Hickory, when they taught her how to use an ax and Hunk had to lend her his gloves. 

“So just the weedin’ today?” She clarified. “No planting.”

“If we go to the trouble to plant when it’s filled with weeds, they’ll just die,” Miss Gulch snapped. “I won’t have my time wasted.”

“Yes, ma’am,” She said, using the same words the farm hands used when Aunt Em got testy. It was placating and respectful, and small enough to not cause ire.

As she worked, Miss Gulch read in a rocking chair, her book obscured by the skirt of her black dress. After pulling ten weeds, she decided to ask, “What are you reading?”

“It’s called  _ Rebecca  _ by Daphne du Maurier,” Miss Gulch said. “About a woman who marries a widower and finds that his first wife still lingers in the castle.”

“Like a ghost?” It made her think of Zeke, and his fear of such creatures. He called the “spooks” and jumped whenever something fell on the farm. This caused a lot of mockery on the farm, but she didn’t blame Zeke in the slightest. Now, especially with Miss Gulch, a mention of an older dead woman reminded her of the Wicked Witch of the West, haunting a place with malice. 

“No, don’t be foolish. She’s dead, but the thought of her still strangles the castle,” Miss Gulch corrected. 

Dorothy shuddered slightly as she continued to work. It sounded creepy.

“Can you read?”

“I can, my parents made sure of it,” She said. 

“I would offer this book, so you can be properly educated on the ways of marriage, but it seems a bit much. How old are you?”

“Nearly seventeen.”

“Next time, I’ll have a book for you to read. We’ll count it as part of your penance,” Miss Gulch said. “Now, go back to work. I have reading to do, and you have weeds to pull.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Later, Dorothy returned to her farm to find it practically empty, if she ignored the animals in their pens. “Toto?” She called.

She was about to call for Hunk when she heard her Uncle Henry say, “‘Lo, Dorothy.” 

Sitting on the porch, her uncle smoked with Toto in his lap. Toto leapt for her, and she greeted her dog eagerly.

“Hello, Uncle Henry,” She smiled as Toto licked her face. “Where are the farm hands?”

“We sent ‘em home early,” He said. “They’ve prac’lly been livin’ here all week, thought they earned a break.”

“That’s nice of you.” Though she was disappointed to not see Hunk, she reminded herself she’d see him soon since he was coming to pick her up. Plus, she was glad that Zeke got to go home to his son, Zach, a cherubic sweetheart, and that Hickory got to go home to his inventions.

“Aunt Em ran off into town to pick up some provisions for the weekend,” He answered her unasked question. “But she’ll be back right after you leave with Hunk.” 

“Yes, I should go get ready.’

He nodded, then said, “You look filthy.”

Dorothy looked down at her jeans’ knees and already rattiest shoes. They were both covered in dirt and grime. “I know. Mind if I run a bath?”

“You go right ahead,” Her Uncle said and smoked on his pipe once more.

Dorothy fetched herself some water and scrubbed herself clean. She changed herself into her favorite flour dress, it was soft green with little red flowers on them. Before her father died, her mother bought her dresses sewed by seamstresses, but then it was hard for the widow to procure money. Then when she moved in with her aunt and uncle after her mother died, she had to learn to sew herself. Aunt Em insisted that sewing flour dresses was great practice. In her three years, she’d gotten very good. She preferred aprons, but this occasion called for a new dress. 

She brushed her hair out of its braids and fashioned it into one long braid instead. She shimmied slightly in excitement, wondering when exactly Hunk was going to show up. She stepped out of her room, feeling fresh, and prepared to wait in the parlor.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Uncle Henry said from the same room. “Mind comin’ here?”

Dorothy nodded and sat on the chair across from him. 

“What is it?” 

He wasn’t smoking, but he looked like he wanted to be. But Aunt Em didn’t want the smoke in the house anymore. His strong yet withered fingers tapped on his knees.

“I want to talk to ya ‘bout goin’ with Hunk.”

A violent blush burned across her cheeks. “Uncle Henry, he’s just keeping an eye on me, it’s not a courting or nothing.” 

“Really?” Uncle Henry raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you heard Auntie Em,” Dorothy tried to laugh in dismissal. “Hunk’s just making sure she has no reason to worry. He also gets a free ticket to a carnival, it’d be dumb to not want to come along.” 

Her Uncle nodded slowly, like it made sense. “So I don’t need to have a talk with ‘im?” 

“Not at all,” She insisted. 

He laughed a little, “You know, I had to give your father a talk.”

“You did?” Very rarely were her parents mentioned in the farm house. Long ago, Lewis Laughlin and Maud Gale eloped and left Smallton for Greenville, eventually going to Chicago. Then after her father died when she was ten, she and her mother moved back to Greenville, then her mother died just two years later.

But her parents were both born and raised in the same small town where she now lived. She’d heard from Hickory that the Gale family and the townsfolk in general had seen this as a major betrayal. A lot of people didn’t want the Gales to accept Dorothy back into their lives after her parents passed away, but she was glad blood was thicker than water.

“When they first started courtin’, I was against it,” He said. “He had that look in his eye, the one that yearned adventure.”

Dorothy didn’t know of such a look.

“I knew he wouldn’t stick around, but my sister- your mother loved him, and wanted to follow him anywhere. And he knew it, and made sure she followed.” 

She kept her mouth shut, she had heard the same story but her mother’s version before she got sick. Maud Gale wove a tale of adventure and intrigue of the great wide somewhere, exploring a beautiful land they’d yet to experience. 

But she had never heard Uncle Henry speak so much, so she didn’t want to discourage him with contradiction.

“They were gonna go to the dance hall,” Uncle Henry said. “I tried to stop them, but that makes it worse, ya know. I caught them dancing like a married couple in front of half the damn town. I yelled at your sister somethin’ fierce.” He looked her in the eye. “I didn’t mean it harsh, just wanted her to use her head. She yelled at me right back, we caused a big stink.

Dorothy offered a sympathetic smile. She hadn’t heard this story before, she couldn’t imagine something like that, her parents were so prim and proper in Greenville and Chicago. 

“Maudie ran off the next day with him,” Uncle Henry exhaled slowly. “I don’t want that to happen here. I trust you, Dottie. You’re a good kid.”

“Thank you, Uncle Henry,” She said. “I promise to be smart. And we’ll be back tonight, I promise. And you like Hunk, he’s so smart. You know he’ll be good too.”

Uncle Henry nodded, “I know it.”

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and thought of a memory. “My mama told me,” She hesitated as she considered if he wanted to hear this story. “She told me that while she never regretted runnin’ off with my father, she regretted never saying goodbye to you.”

She could almost feel the kiss to the crown of her head as her mother told this story, and it was comforting in its sadness of the memory. By the look of quiet pensiveness, she hoped that her uncle felt the same way. 

“Henry! Dorothy! Help me carry these in!” Her aunt called, and the moment fell around them. But he offered her a small smile before they went to help Emily carry groceries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I don’t know the backstory from the books (I know, blasphemy) but my research didn’t give anything definitive about Dorothy’s parents so I’m just having fun. Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!!


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